This wedding has made me fall deeply in love with the idea of having a wedding. Don’t get me wrong; I adore weddings in general (I mean, YOU KNOW THIS). But this wedding makes me excited for every bride who gets to design her day with awesome vendors and an awesome husband and what is clearly awesome design-mindedness. But really, it’s the dreaminess of the pictures that did it for me. Dreamy, ever-so-slightly-out-of-focus photos are soooooooo the number one thing in my book (aside from making sure you love the person you’re marrying, but that goes without saying… or does it?).

And by the way, her bridesmaids = ADORABLENESS. Their shoes = ADORABLENESS to the MAX.

I’m really excited today because I get to share with you guys what I think is a seriously fab idea for your wedding centerpieces.

But I’d also like to tell a story today about computer love and how opposites attract, so let’s begin with story time, and then jump right back into today’s feature. Ok, here we go… hope you enjoy!

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As many of you know, I own an iMac, and I make love to it on a daily basis, for upwards of ten hours. It’s a steamy love affair; I seem to know just the right buttons to push. And though sometimes I worry I’m maxing out his resources, all it really takes is a quick shutdown and restart for him to feel completely recharged and ready to take me on for another go. Of course, we have our moments but, all in all, I love my iMac and, though he doesn’t talk much (save for a thunderous roar every time I turn him on), I’m pretty certain my iMac loves me.

But my iMac is a desktop. He keeps me chained to my desk, and I don’t appreciate it. In fact, I’ve grown to resent it. I need to roam free, where the grass grows and the inspiration flows. And I want to have the option to take him along with me, should the mood strike to write a post while I’m out and about. So recently I’ve been pondering what it would be like to have a MacBook Pro. I have a MacBook already, but he’s from my college years and way too overworked and immature to handle my needs these days. Plus, his battery life is crap. He’s a three minute man.

It has taken me months to get comfortable with the idea of taking on another Mac, but, in weighing my options and my needs, I’ve determined that for me and my projects to be able to grow, I must be free to move about the cabin of life. … and blog from there. (–Ohhh how cool am I.)

Ok, now here’s where my significant other comes into the story (and please note ~ for today, I will refer to my significant other as “Fancy Pants McGee” or “Fancy P. McGee” – and quite possibly F.P. McGee or FPM if I get tired – from here on out, as I see fit):

So, I told Fancy P. McGee that I’d finally broken down and decided that I do need a laptop. I had done some research (aka, clicked one button) and found that a student discount would shave MAX $150 off the retail price of the MacBook Pro I was eyeing. Our conversation went as follows:

FPM: That’s great! What do Anthropologie dresses cost these days? You could probably get two for $150 – you should do that with the money!

ME: First of all, no I couldn’t. $150 would buy me ahh dress, not two, or maybe a pair of jeans at Anthro. But as far as the comp goes, it’s gonna cost between $1k and $2K, and a student discount will save me around $150, but I’ll still be in the hole $1500. Not coming out on top here. No net profit.

FPM: Yeah, no I get it, babe. What I’m saying is you’ll have saved $150, so you should treat yourself to that much in fashions. (Ok, he didn’t call them fashions, I only wish he had. Dwight from Real Housewives of ATL has been repeating “fashion show with no fashions” all day in my head, so that’s where that came from.)

ME: I should spend the saved money? I don’t understand. I’ll be out $1500.

FPM: You save $150 with the discount, so you’ll have $150 left over that you wouldn’t have had without the discount.

ME: OMG. I get it now. This is found money to you!

-♡-

This is one way in which Fancy P. and I could not be more dissimilar. Could not. But here’s the moral of the story: we often seek out mates with traits we wish we had more of in ourselves. I’m a saver-to-the-max, and wish I felt comfortable parting with a little discretionary income every so often. Kidding, I don’t have “discretionary income.” That’s a term that entitled folk invented to feel better about buying gilded furniture and designing themed rooms in their homes instead of helping others.

But yeah, I do wish I felt a little more comfortable spending on myself every once in a while. And that’s where Fancy Pants comes in. I’ve tamed his ways considerably, but he’s still got that itch to spend coursing through his veins. And sometimes, it’s not such a bad thing to let it run wild. But only sometimes. … like with bed purchases. (Most of you guys know what I’m talking about; more on that in the future!)

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Ok, back to the centerpieces!

Bettula is one of the many amazing vendors I encountered at Renegade this past weekend. With Bettula, Heather Fagan has created a line of vases (not to mention other home decor, art and even jewelry) all made from repurposed birch bark. How cool is she and how rad is that? And how fab does it all look?

I think these vases would work so well as centerpieces. Place flowers or plants of your choice in vases of varying heights, and you’ve got some serious eye candy for your guests to ogle while they eat. I adore the natural ones, but those gold numbers are incredibly flashtastic if you ask me. Of course, you’ll want to go with what works for your color scheme.

(This girl was really into the display – like, really – so I chose not to disturb her. It’s only when I see the photos in their full glory that I realize asking her to step away for a moment would have been the wisest choice of all. I will remember this lesson for next time.)

Like Heather’s work? Think you might fancy the idea of using her vases for some centerpiece action? Go ahead and check out her Etsy shop!

So, what do you guys think? Would you throw some flowers/candles/succulents into these babies, delicately place them on your tables and call it a day? Are they wedding worthy in your book? Tell me the truth; I’m really curious what you think!

Hello and happy Friday, everybody! How we doin’ today, eh? Doin’ well? I sure hope so. The weekend is upon us, so that means fun in the sun if all goes according to plan. Anyone have any interesting plans for the ol’ Sat-to-Sun? Me, I kinda feel like hiking again. You discover really cool things when you hike, like wedding venues. Yeah, totally serious. The boy and I plan to re-scope out this random beautiful joint upon which we stumbled while on a hike just north of the city a couple of weekends ago. I shall report back once the verdict on its quality is in. (:

Anywho, while we continue working out our server switcheroonie, as some of you have coined it (which I love and have now adopted), I thought I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring some seriously fabulous finds I managed to scoop up this week. So, here we go!

First up, a few killer details from one seriously UN.BE.LIEV.ABLE wedding, as photographed by – who else – Max Wanger, and featured on 100 Layer Cake. Le sigh. I shall dream about this beach wedding forever and always. Its colors, textures and characters (of the human sort) are the stuff of inspiration shoots, not real-life weddings. So this rocks it to the fullest. And by the way, PERSONALIZED BEACH TOWEL FAVORS ALERT!

Ok, this wedding featured on Style Me Pretty straight-up-now-tell-me blew me away. But most weddings involving horses (not pictured here) tend to blow me away, because, I mean, how did they get horses involved in their wedding? You know? It seems so involved. Do these people own horses? Do they find a horse – I dunno, farm, and shoot there so that it looks like horses attended their wedding? Does the New York Times write, “the wedding was well-attended; also, they had horses” because you can’t ignore the horse-factor. It’s a huge factor. It’s the elephant at the wedding, essentially. (Can you tell that I’m up way past my bedtime right now? It gets crazier and crazier.)

By the way, obsessed with the bouquet. Obsessed. It’s sort of EXACTLY RIGHT.

My good friend Melissa, of The Loveliest Day, made quite a stir in her new role blogging for Ruffled with one seriously sparkle-rific wedding dress… and not to mention super hunky groom. Super. Hunky. (Massive congrats, Melissa! Sooo freaking awesome.) Here’s a lil taste of the fabulosity that awaits you.

Coveting the incredibly laid-back but terrifically chic style of this bang-sporting bride. And just LOOK at that sassy feather statement necklace she’s got on!! Does it NOT fit perfectly with that gown? J’adore. Plus, you guys know how much I love a good bang! Hair, we’re talking hair. (… But I like the other kind, too, obvs.)

I don’t know about you, but for me, a red velvet cupcake + a mason jar = the cutest, tastiest thing possible. I am loving this as wedding favors, especially with the spoons tied to the jars with – my favorite – baker’s twine! Most of you know I have a love affair with the stuff. (Yes, it’s under control now.) I found this awesomeness over on With This Ring, and she found it, plus instructions on cakies blog!

Here’s the supplies list, courtesy of cakies, if you’re interested in trying your hand at these babies:

Ooh, one more thing… you see the chic young lady at the tippy top of this post? Well, her name’s Andi, and she has a blog. On that blog, she posted the musical stylings of the fabulous Diane Birch, and I just seriously have to share this with all of you, if you haven’t already heard of her. Because she’s a whole lotta wonderful.

Ok, I get that these are some pretty REDONK finds I’ve got here today. They may in fact be so fabulous that deciding on a favorite is super way hard. But whatev who cares – I really wanna know so I’m still asking. (:

So, do tell: which of these is/are most inspiring to YOU? Lemme know. I can’t wait to hear!!!

Ok, before I get into what the above is all about, I just wanna say that I really hope everyone had themselves super enjoyable/rewarding/relaxing Memorial Day weekends! For the most part, the weather ’round here was ridiculously gorgeous, and it seemed pretty hard not to have a good time, regardless of what we were doing. In fact, just stepping outside made my day. Though playing a little tennis and getting half my body into a pool certainly didn’t hurt matters. What does that mean? That means that I was faced with frigid pool waters, and I was the only one – among numerous children – who could not get my body to dip past the belly button point. What I had always believed to be the most difficult body part to submerge, the “undercarriage,” was already safely tucked beneath the icy surf. But the water remained intolerable. Mind you, six-year-olds with arm floaties were all around me, having a collective ball. And I’m sure none of them quite understood or cared about what I was going through. I seriously hung there, perched with my ass beneath the water line. Oh, the shame. (For the record, it was really, really cold.)

But I did push the fiancé in the pool about five times. That was awesome. Mainly because I always waited until his body had warmed sufficiently to make the cold water startling again. Good times!! (;

Anyway, y’all know how much I love Martha Stewart, right? Well, it’s almost as much as I love southern dialects. But seriously, I cherish Martha Stewart Weddings for all the DIY goodies and inspiration the resource always has to offer. So I decided to sort through it all and I’ve collected a hefty bunch of my favorites for your consideration. I hope you love!

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So, you see those jam jars up top? Ok, well I am OBSESSED with their lid labels. Completely obsessed. Jam jars are such a popular idea for weddings these days, and these labels are my current favorite way to top them! Get the clip art here!

-♡-

Totally in lust with this idea. Make your girls their very own lace clutches! How gorgeous are these? Not to mention crazy simple to create – all there is to do is print the clip art onto heat-transfer paper, then just iron the designs onto fabric! Get the clip art here!

-♡-

I seriously covet these monogram labels; they’re just perfect for your favor boxes, and whatever else you’d like to monogram! :) Get the clip art here!

-♡-

I absolutely adore these place card designs and highly recommend them for your wedding. They’re really quite elegant, and all you need to do is print them on preperforated card stock. Done and done! Get the clip art here!

How about creating your own uniquely designed cookie tins with Martha’s download-and-print doily labels? I know – so cute. They come in red, blue, and green, too. Get the clip art here!

-♡-

I am in love with the beauty of these custom Blueprint wrapping papers!!! I think they’d look amazing as part of your decor. There are five in all, and only Martha has them. Pretty rad. Get them here!

-♡-

Last but not least, there’s this too adorable cookie gift sleeve label. You have a whole bunch of different label options, for pretty much any occasion (for a wedding, go with “for you to enjoy“). All you’ll need besides the clip art are CD envelopes and adhesive paper. Get the clip art here!

So, what do you think? Do any of these catch your eye as a fabulous DIY? I’m curious what you guys think!

After at least a month of server error messages, random admin logouts and a constantly spotty at best site connection, GoDaddy FINALLY admitted yesterday that it’s their servers, and not anything we’re doing wrong. This, after being told upwards of 40 times that it’s something we’re doing wrong. I kid you not. Upwards of 40 times. Finally, after much anguish and through-the-night-every-night-troubleshooting on our part, downloading and restoring databases, uninstalling, installing and reconfiguring plugins, tears (yeah, I cried a lot, I’ll admit it), GoDaddy revealed yesterday that “certain servers are not functioning properly.” That my site “is on the list of affected sites.” That they’ve “got their best guys on the job.” Progress thus far? “Umm, well we haven’t solved it yet.” When will it be solved – ballpark? “We can’t seem to pinpoint the problem, because, you see, we aren’t seeing the error messages that everyone else is seeing outside of our network. So we’re having trouble figuring out why the servers are malfunctioning… but we’re hard at work on it.” Can you do something, like migrate me to a new server that isn’t shitty? “No, nope, we can’t do that. Sorry.” Really? “Yeah, sorry. That’s not something we can do.” Oh.

Can you stand it?

I can’t anymore. So I’m letting the world know, after too many sleepless nights and lost traffic.

GoDaddy is dishonest and chooses to blame the customer for its own failures. The people on the front lines have been as kind as possible, but their supervisors have perpetuated a cover-up, and are hardly if at all concerned with customer satisfaction.

That’s all for now. Just thought I should spread the word at this point, since I am now aware that this is a widespread problem, and that GoDaddy is not making efforts to alert anyone affected.

Lastly, THANK YOU to everyone who contacted me to see what was wrong with the site and where it disappears to at random times throughout the day. I can’t tell you how much we’ve appreciated your concern. Thanks so much for caring! At least we finally have the knowledge that weren’t doing anything wrong this whole entire time. But it certainly doesn’t make it any less frustrating.

I’ll be providing updates, mostly on twitter, regarding GoDaddy’s behavior and how things progress as far as how we decide to proceed from here. I hope there aren’t too many of you experiencing these same issues! It’s traumatizing, truly.

(Two notes: 1. yes, this post is about shoes, but I’ll mostly be talking about how we spent Sunday afternoon, because that’s what’s in the forefront of my mind. 2. mattress manufacturer names have been changed to obvious, cute versions of themselves. Because who cares.)

* * *

The fiancé and I spent the whole afternoon in Bloomingdale’s today, and it was heavenly. They were having a sale, and we were on a mission: to find the perfect mattress for our future. What does “the perfect mattress” mean to us? It means no back pain and a good, rhythmic bounce. Yep, wherever your mind just went with that, that’s what is meant by rhythmic bounce. And let’s just say we didn’t reject those Schmemperschmedics because they sleep hot; it was the complete, immobilizing absorption of movement that canned them for us. Because one thing I know for sure is that I don’t want to have to work out excessively just to be strong enough to counteract the quick-sand that is my foam mattress.

Anyway, crazy turn of events; somehow we entered the store through the shoe section. Oops! I didn’t side-track us for too long, but I definitely came across some numba one stunnas as I combed the rows and tables of designer shoe land (while he patiently waited). So, as you search for that perfect shoe for your wedding day, – whether it’s for you or for your bridesmaids – consider these, my top picks for that long, graceful (and hopefully not too painful) walk down the aisle!

… But, if you’ll indulge me, I’m going to get back to sharing this story from yesterday…

Ok, so if you Tweet with me, or if you’re one of my real-life friends to whom I bitch about how shittay our mattress is, then you already know that the boy and I have been on an odyssey for a half-way decent mattress for the last, say, entire length of our relationship. Let me start off by saying that we made the biggest mistake possible in the art of mattress buying when we went with “a connection” we thought we had at Schmeepy’s. This was a wrong assumption, and I still can’t believe we actually went and purchased something without first googling the company. We were morons back then – or as a therapist would say, we behaved moronically. (By the way, I’m shocked that the word “Googling” hasn’t reached WordPress dictionary status yet, according to my spell checker. Wow, I am also shocked that “WordPress” isn’t in my WordPress dictionary according to my spell checker. FAIL.) Long story short, be sure to google a company before you purchase a horrible mattress from them. And then have to stay home from work all day to have one of their independent contractors come to your apartment at her leisure and measure if the sagging is deep enough to warrant a replacement mattress. Which, by the way, is totally a matter of winning the independent contractor over, which we (I) did. But we got another shittay mattress to replace the first, so another fail. More shoes!

Moral of the story: unless you’re flat broke and there aren’t any available mattresses on the curb in or around the Lower East Side area of New York City, do not purchase a mattress from Cheapy’s. While we’ve all heard the occasional success story with that company, the Better Business Bureau has all the answers you’d ever need to prove it’s a doomsday scenario. More shoes!

A final note: we did leave having purchased a high quality mattress (yippee!!!). Once it arrives and I feel good enough about the purchase to spread the word about it, I will update you with the deets. But, given our previous record insofar as mattress selection, I can’t in good faith share the name before I feel confident we’ve got a winner. Cross your fingers, please! Last shoe!

Obsessed with all of the above from my home away from home, Anthro. I know I mention them a lot – would you like me to lay off a bit? No? Ok, full throttle on the Anthro it is. …No one can say I don’t listen to my readers.

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Love and Lavender has provided me with the first good reason ever (in my personal book, which is often a unique book)to have an over-sized bridal party. The reason is in the pictures, by the way. The awesome, awesome pictures, taken by Jamie Clayton…

I mean, how much are you loving these shots? I’m thinking they’re totally worth putting up with a gazillion panicky phone calls from your girls about hair the day of your wedding.

*Awww!*

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Caught this unique vintagy find on a visit to Ruffled and died over the cuteness factor! The idea, straight from Ruffled: vintage paper doll clothes as escort cards for a wedding! Am I blowing your mind? Because it blew mine. Creativity is the greatest thing in the world. Truly.

This next find, dubbed A Literary Garden and brought to us by the ladies of 100 Layer Cake also had me reeling. The table number idea, executed by Megan Gray of Honey and Poppies, is so simple – and I don’t mean easy, I mean simple – but I don’t know if I ever would have come up with it on my own. It’s definitely one of those great ideas you wish you’d thought of yourself! Love it, Megan. You’re a genius, literally. *snicker snicker*

Next up, some absolutely lovely wedding gowns from Neiman Marcus, which I discovered on Erin Ever After! Apparently, most of them are below $750!!! That’s kind of amazing… no, seriously.

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And check out this save the date, made out of a FEATHER!!! I mean, what?! A feather?! I found this gem over on Brancoprata, a fantastic blog run by one of my good blogger friends – not to mention one of my favorite girls in the world – Sofia! Totally in love with her attitude and her style. But obsessing over this, in particular:

I’m thinking we end on a tasty, completely unrelated to weddings note. Sound good? Well, it certainly tastes good…

Yup. That’s called a “brookie;” it’s a brownie-cookie. Courtesy of the oven-lovin’ maven herself, Bakerella. My question is: how do you eat just one? How do you NOT eat the whole pan? Seriously, I’m asking. (People, I’m this close to licking the screen right now. This close. It’s settled; I’m baking these babies up over the weekend.)

Well, that about does it for Friday’s Fabs, my lovelies! Fingers crossed that you enjoyed them as much I did! I hope all of you are having nice little Fridays of your own. Mine’s shaping up to be insane in the membrane. I think I’ll need a dip in a hot tub by the time the sun goes down. Anyone have a hot tub they’re willing to share? Let me know. Have suit, will travel. Anywho, hope your weekends are filled with joy and hand holding, if you’re into that. Try being into it, if you’re not, by the way. You’re talking to a happy convert.

Hello, and good morning, everyone! Hope you’re having a pleasant little Monday so far. And to all the mommas out there, I hope you all had a splendid Momma’s Day, yesterday! A quick shout-out goes out to my Mom and my rad sister, Jenny. They = fantastic mamacitas who make tasty margaritas. Well, my sister makes the margies. But my Mom and I loooooove drinking them! Ooohhh I could go for a Jenny margie right now. On the rocks, extra lime. Wait, it’s Monday morning and these are my thoughts. Baaaad, Alison. Baaaad.

I’m gonna move from drunkenness to dresses, without skipping a beat…

Ok, honestly, I don’t know how any of you could possibly pick just one dress at this point in the game. There’s just too much pretty out there.

You know the effect that Coldplay’s manufactured sound has on most of us? The way it calms things down and gives us those occasional happy shivers? These frocks have the same effect on me…

By the way, I have a couple of hairstyle comments/suggestions to make.

This:

… is how my dear mother styled my hair when I was a wee babe. She worked it up into a clean bun, shimmied me into my dress, and called me Pebbles. So, while I have some of the cutest baby photos you’ve ever seen, I can’t imagine wearing my hair in a similar style on my wedding day. Of course, I’m biased – I don’t want friends and family I’ve known since birth reminiscing about my baby hair ‘dos while I’m to-having and t0-holding. ‘Cause that would be what happened if I wore my hair like this. Which I won’t. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

On the other hand, this:

… is AWESOME. (By the way, I found both of these over at Elle.) It’s really quite perfect for a laid-back, backyard affair… if you love ponytails but don’t want to look like you dialed it in on your wedding day. Personally, I love ponytails (my go-to ‘do), and am always on the search for ways to change it up. So, naturally, I love this. Of course, it may err a little on the side of being too casual, so here, check out my top five tips for great wedding day hair if you’re looking for some fabulous ‘dos for your lovely lady locks. ;)

This next great idea comes from Amy, the amazing force behind one of my favorite blogs, Eat Drink Chic. I think each of your bridesmaids would absolutely adore receiving their own, personalized version of these thank you cards, designed by Leslie Lewis Sigler of Lilly & Louise! Each is a watercolor wash paper silhouette of a dress! Too cute.

* * *

This next find makes my mouth water and eyes light up. We’re all familiar with the fabulous Elizabeth Messina; well, CHECK OUT THE CHOCOLATE BARS SHE HAD AT HER OWN WEDDING…

Yeah. To die. Steal this idea, PLEASE. And send me a photo. :)

* * *

And now, for the ultimate decadence… brought to you by none other than my beloved Tartelette…

Now, the amazing thing about these tasty beauties is that their GLUTEN FREE, and I’ve never seen anything made without flour look so incredibly delicious. Except, maybe these.

Aright, kiddies, that’s it for the Finds! Which of these is your favorite? I’m dying to know. I have this sneaking suspicion it’s going to be the ice cream sandwiches, hands down. But I could be wrong. Let me know. ;)

Have a delightful weekend, everyone! Can’t wait to show you what’s in store next week. Cannot. Wait.

Hope you’re having a decent Friday so far! (I’m sure that depends entirely upon the time of day you are reading this.) In any case, let’s get started, shall we?

* * *

So, today’s first Fab Find comes from Christine and Vania, the fab duo of SimplyBloom. I don’t think it’s possible for these ladies to produce anything less than perfection. Would you agree? I mean, just look at this image:

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Now, I am interrupting this installment of Friday’s Fab Finds to bring you a quick bit of titillating info before we move on… As many of you know, I went a little insane with a bucket of Nutella recently. See: this post, and my Twitter feed on that day (which I will NOT link to because it is craziness). Well, based on our brief white chocolate love affair and its aftereffects, I have a newsflash. However, please note that this is by no means based on scientific data of any sort. Only my personal experience. My personal, fantastic experience. But I say with certain confidence – both in the truth of this, and a different, new-found confidence I remember having in college – that Nutella makes your two friends to the north larger. By two cup sizes, to be precise. There, I said it. I feel the need, however, to warn you not to overindulge unless you are willing to accept that this effect may be singular to me. To my lucky freaking a$$. Aaaaand now that I’ve bragged I’m sure they will go away soon. Well, I’m not sure, but most good things do, so I’m basing that assumption off of experience. Like when they took away my favorite flavor of Progresso soup. Or the time they discontinued my favorite flavor of Wishbone salad dressing. WHY DO THEY DO THIS ALL THE TIME? Am I alone in this pain? Me and my heaving bosom?

* * *

Next up, the freebie you’ve all been hearing about… Complimentary tickets for readers of The Knotty Bride from the fabulous ladies of The Wedding Salon!!! I know! How great is this?! The event is Monday, May 3, 2010 at The London West Hollywood. To grab yourself these free tickets, just click here, then click “Register for this Event” and use promo code: KBLAC – that’s it! Woot! The ladies of Wedding Salon put on spectacular events, and my friends and I always have loads of fun. You do not want to miss this, TRUST. You’re seriously in for a blast… not to mention endless wedding inspiration, which is kind of the point.

This next find made me jump a little in my chair when I first saw it. Pretty much just like everything else the Wedding Chicks do. I mean, right when I think they’ve given us the best free printable ever, they come out with a little something like AIRPLANE SAVE-THE-DATES. Check it:

Want your own? Go make it, now! Oh, and you might be interested to know that they came out with another save-the-date printable, and it’s Mad Men inspired. You’re welcome.

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How ’bout some sexy lingerie? Yeah, it’s been too long since the last time I displayed a couple of near-naked bods on this here blog. The wait is over:

Alright, Happy Friday, my lovelies! I hope you thoroughly enjoyed the finds this week, and I hope you have splendid things in the works for your weekends… like relaxing, and sitting, and lying down in the grass and stuff like that. (Can you tell I’ve had a hectic week?) Speaking of chillaxing, I’m listening to this song as I write these closing remarks. It’s soothing to the nth degree. Soooooothing. In my opinion, at least. And this song is fantastic, sad sad sad, but simply fantastic.

By the way, which of today’s Fab Finds is your absolute favorite?! I’m a little bit curious. ;)

Over the weekend, the boy and I went into town and had some breakfast, because eating’s important. As we were walking back, we saw on our right this adorable little dessert table set up on the sidewalk. It was a tiny little bake sale, and there were two cute young moms manning the post. We had passed it on our way to breakfast, and it had smelled de-li-cious, so I was like, yay it’s still there! Brownies, cookies, muffins, cupcakes… everything. You name it. Oh how I love mini mommy bake sales on the sidewalk in Park Slope!

Anyway, for no reason at all as is so often the case with me, I found myself walking a little bit ahead of the fiancé, and passed by the table first on our way back home. So, in that moment of realizing that my tendency to walk faster than the average bear and my lack of awareness of or concern for those with whom I’m supposedly walking had struck again, I turned around just in time to see the boy abruptly jerk his head up towards the ladies and stare at one of them with an “I totally heard that” look on his face. This caused the two women to erupt in embarrassed laughter.

The whole thing was peculiar, and I was soooo curious about what had happened. I slowed down to join him again – seriously, this happens so often, I really need to get a handle on my speed walking (some of my strolling partners have been known to become noticeably out of breath) – Anyway, I slowed down, and when we were again side by side, I asked him wussup.

ME: “Wussup?”

FIANCÉ: “She said ‘eat my cookie.’”

She said EAT MY COOKIE. A Park Slope bake sale mommy said “eat my cookie” essentially to my fiancé. It was stupendous. How freaking scandalous is that?!! I wish things like this happened more often. Especially in Park Slope. I should have gotten her number so we could share childhood stories and stay out really late, like, ’til 10:30pm or something outrageous like that. And then hold mini bake sales during which we hit on unwitting young men whose fiancées are walking waaaaaaay ahead of them and so they appear to be fair game. Ooooohhhh I think I just stumbled upon my dream way to spend the summer.

Anyway, back to reality. In celebration of this rare, weird event, I present to you – because free association rules the roost here – the most perfect little ceramic cookie jar from Anthropologie! Also, its friends, Tools and Biscuits jars. And everything else I love at Anthro right now that I think would make for a beautifully styled e-session (or wedding)… from fashion to dishtowels to table decoration. Here we go!

THIS WEDDING = MAXIMUM AWESOMENESS. And, in my opinion, a hot pink/fuchsia fête has never looked so good.

Seriously, when I saw this wedding by Matt and Angie of Sloan Photographers, I wanted to do the Homer Simpson running around in a circle on the floor dance. Because the beauty, the colors, the details… EVERYTHING about this wedding is outRAGEOUS. It’s bursting at the seams with jaw-dropping inspiration!

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I officially need a shot in front of a fireworks display at my wedding now. Which means I just added fireworks to my wants list.

So awesome, right? Amazing work, Mr. & Mrs. Sloan! Gotta love husband and wife photography teams. Click here to check out the rest of this fantastic party over on the Sloan Photographers blog!

I dropped by Anthropologie two nights in a row last week, and while my wallet is pissed off, my hypothalamus is giving me a head massage. It was exhilarating, like shopping so often is – especially since I never go shopping anymore (NO TIME). I was like a squirrel but with clothes, storing up for the long, warm summer. Pretty much everything that caught my eye went into my dressing room. While in there, I happened to overhear a salesgirl kvetching to her coworker; “I can’t STAND IT when these people come IN HERE and pick up EVERYTHING IN THE STORE LIKE ANIMALS. UGGGGHHH!” For reasons not worth explaining, I know she wasn’t talking about me, but I also know she didn’t know I was in there, hence the uncensored and highly inappropriate discourse. (I’m really stealth when I try on clothes. You can hardly hear me. Which means I’ve overheard a lot of conversations over time. Let me tell you, what girls discuss in dressing rooms when they think no one is listening… it’s everything you ever thought it would be.)

Anywho – I bought way too much, but it’s all FABULOUS so I’m pouring over my finds to see if I can part with any of them. So far, no dice. I love them all very much. So much, in fact, that I’m bringing you a wedding from the brilliant duo over at SimplyBloom that has Anthro touches in it! Because I’m obsessed, you see. Because I’m obsessed.

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Ok, first, I HAVE to share with you a handful of gumballiscious engagement shots – same couple, different day of course. I am dying over these. How much better is eye candy when it’s actual candy?

And now, ladies and germs… feast your eyes on this. It is one of the most lovely, romantic and smartly decorated affairs I have seen in my lifetime. As I like to say starting today: delightful little details and a simple, calm color palette make for the dreamiest weddings around. :)

Ok, you know how much I love twine. And cupcake wrappers are never, ever a bad thing. Well, twine mated with cupcake wrappers at the hand of Stacey, the bride, to make what you see above and below. THAT’S THEIR CEREMONY ARCH! Be still my heart.

Check out the Anthro touches; charming rustic frames and candles, all part of the ceremony decor!

Here’s the bride on the arm of her brother! This shot is a favorite of mine; how I love precious family moments. :)

Now, look at these reception details, people. I hope you’re sitting down. Make sure your boss is either cool or isn’t around, because you might want to stare like an idiot at these shots for a while:

See that darling cake? It was baked by Chris’ sister. Now THAT is what I call a sibling. Chris’ sister, you are the coolest. You’re also a cake-baking maven; that thing looks phenomenal!

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Want to stare at every last image from this fine day? Click here to see the rest of “Stacey & Chris’s Anthropologie Inspired Wedding” on SimplyBloom‘s blog!

I just LOVE this wedding; the details make me so incredibly happy. The little Ferrero Rocher gold-foil wrapped chocolates (a childhood fave of mine) marking each guest’s seat at the table, the bride’s big, magnificent jewelry, the simplicity and skillful use of color… and, most of all… HER DRESS. This, ladies and gentlemen, is how a dress should fit. You know and I know that it really does all come down to that. (Well, aside from all the love and happiness stuff, but you follow me.)

The thing is, if your dress fits properly, you own the day. Simple as that. No worries about photos marred by your constant need to lift a falling strapless gown – which happens waaaaay too often. No unsightly gathering or bulging at the waste when you sit down to eat (that is, if you sit down to eat). Proper fit is important, and I advise you to go out and get it. But don’t fret; it’s not a requirement that you spend copious amounts of your earnings on alterations. You may need to do a little sleuthing, but I’m confident that someone you know, somewhere, has the 411 on a stellar seamstress who’s well-versed in making dress dreams come true.

Doesn’t she look phenomenal?!! A perfect fit will leave you looking stylish and sexy, but still completely appropriate. Which is pretty much my definition of the ideal wedding day look.

Now, check out a bride with what I consider a fab, simple ‘do, also shot by Sara. Her name’s Julie, and while she’s stunning head to toe, I especially admired what she did up top on her wedding day. So basic; half-up, half-down. But the classic, timeless beauty of the look she has accomplished makes me swoon!

The love I have for these bridal accessories is comparable to that which I hold for my unborn child. (Don’t have one of those yet so I probably don’t know the true meaning of a statement like that, but I’m still confident that I’ve drawn an appropriate parallel.)

This is not only a grouping of some of the most lovely accessories EVER, but also some truly incredible wedding day hairstyle inspiration. Heck yes, a twofer!

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First up is Lo Boheme‘s Spring/Summer 2010 collection, shot by the fabulous Marisa Holmes in her historic 1888 studio. … These make my mouth water. I need to have about seven of them in my life. Not to mention those DRESSES. I wish they were selling those dresses!!!

Check out their etsy shop if you’d like to have one of these beautiful things in your life.

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This next headpiece blows my mind. I found it over on my darling friend Melissa’s blog, The Loveliest Day. Check. Out. This. Shot.

Yeah. That stunning young woman’s name is Dana, and she’s got herself an Etsy shop called Retr0lux, where she sells fabo headpieces just like the one you see on her beautiful head. And I WANT IT. I also want to look like this on my wedding day. Thought I hated huge, ruffled statement mini jackets. HAH! I WAS SO WRONG. Dana defines style for me today. Can the two of us please go shopping on Melrose sometime? I didn’t realize I needed some pointers until I met you and your unique, brilliant fashion sense.

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I caught a glimpse of Ban.do‘s new line, the “Black Label,” on Mixed Plate, and it made the happiness area of my brain go insane. I had never appreciated head decoration all that much until the very first time I discovered Jen and Jamie’s hyper-feminine designs long ago, and this, their newest line, is doing its part to hold my interest. You guys are gonna eat these things up. Eat. Them. Up.

Yeah, I told you! By the way, I kind of can’t take how ridiculously beautiful this model is. For those of you who don’t know, it’s Alison Sudol, of A Fine Frenzy! Gotta love it.

All I can think of to say is THANK YOU, Amy and Jocey! You two are helping us ramp up that pretty factor in our lives, AND saving countless trees in the process, now that we don’t have to go and carve our names in actual trees anymore! Thank goodness, because that is soooo 50s! Plus, with Earth Day ’round the corner, this is exactly the kind of thing we need.

Oooh, did I mention the color combination options? Because there are many, and they are AWESOME.

It was extremely fun to make this. Which I know sounds ridiculous, but it was, it really was.

So, want a piece of this interactive graphic action? Who am I kidding, of course you do! Click here to create your own custom heart + arrow monogram right now, over on the Wedding Chicks blog!

In the meantime, check out some photos Amy took depicting all the cool stuff you can do with your custom monogram (ideas included below: invitations, envelopes, labels, menus and table numbers):

Here’s why I love this dress (which was featured in one of Abby’s amazing real weddings on Style Me Pretty):

I’ve always been frustrated by two very conflicting desires I have for “THE DREAM” dress. One desire is to have a gown that is simple, playful and girlie, which, for me, translates to just right above the knee. Plus, everybody has a certain feature that they love about themselves, and for me, it’s my gams. (And if you don’t have a feature that you love about yourself, STOP IT. YOU’RE BEING TOO CRITICAL. And if you’re really having trouble, ask someone if you must… in fact it’ll probably make your day.) The other (equally strong) desire is to achieve a classic, elegant look, and not to appear foolish and/or stunted. Which, for me, translates most likely to a floor-length gown. I’ve always assumed that there’s really no in-between, aside from those mid-calf-cutting pedal pusher frocks. And what I know for certain is that I will NOT wear a dress that cuts me off mid-calf. Here’s a little history on that…

When I was younger, I didn’t look like what these 13- and 14-year-old-girls look like these days. I don’t know why, maybe I didn’t drink enough hormone-laden milk products during my formative years. Whatever. I just didn’t look like a woman when I was a child. And in more recent years, I’ve totally embraced that fact. It gave me a few more years to be a kid, and for that, I’m grateful. But it wasn’t doing me any favors back when I was living it. The reason I’m telling you that story is because two features I haaaaaaaaaaaated about my body were calf 1 and calf 2. I really, really, really hated them. And I wasn’t yet the towering 5’4 I am now, so my legs were shorter… and I played soccer. And my mother is German. Sooooo… I had muscular calves. I think they were the recessive and dominant genes available… it was my destiny. They weren’t like these massive calves by any means, it’s just that everyone pointed them out, and how “powerful” they looked. (Thanks, everyone, for that, by the way.)

When I think back on what they said, I realize that they were being more flattering than anything else, but you really can’t blame me. I mean, come on, these were the puber-tastic days. Puberty is defined as not being able to process the pointing out of extremely unique bodily features as a good thing. That is the definition. So I felt hopelessly different, and it totally made the issue far worse in my mind than it ever was.

Anywho, fast-forward a couple years later, and everything changed. EH. VRUH. THUH. I got those things the milk drinkers got – but they came about naturally, which was obviously best. It was a case of latent (or maybe, appropriately-timed?) genetic onset. And boy was life full of sunshine and lollipops from that point, forward. (HAHAHH, just kidding. Boobs and proportional legs do not a perfect life make, Heidi Montag Pratt. But I think you already know that at this point. Actually, do you?)

… Anyway, that kinda sorta in a roundabout way leads me to why I’m a fan of this dress. It’s a sweet little combo of elegant, floor-length style, and tea-length playfulness, all rolled up into one heck of a gown. With no mid-calf cutting of any kind!

Aaalllllright! So! Enough about me, eh? Picture time:

About the dress, since you’re probably wondering: Melody (the bride) purchased it in Manhattan at Cheap Jack’s Vintage Store – I am NOT messing with you, this is real – and had it custom altered to fit her more modern aesthetic:

“My dress was purchased at Cheap Jacks Vintage store in Manhattan for $350. It has no tags, so it might be homemade, circa the 50’s/60’s. It was full length and I had it cut off to be short in the front and long in the back, removed the straps and a pink flower applique, added a jeweled belt, and basically redesigned the entire thing…”

Yeah. She wasn’t kidding around. Amazing job, Melody.

By the way, this girl and I were separated at birth. Evidence:

“My headpiece was purchased on Etsy. It’s actually three things all pinned on my head together because I couldn’t find one I liked by itself.”

I think it’s no secret around here how positively OBSESSED I am with the ladies of Simply Bloom. But here‘s some proof. Here, too.

And here‘s a more recent post featuring one of their yummiest engagement sessions EVUH. If you decide to click on it, you’ll see that I included a teaser in anticipation of this exact shoot that I am so freakin’ excited to share with you now. I am, like, bursting at the seams right now over this shoot!!!

The biggest thing I take away from these photos – aside from their outRAGEOUS beauty and color – is the impact that just a few thoughtfully chosen details can have on your very own e-session. If you’re looking to ramp up the cute factor of your upcoming shoot, I suggest taking some pointers from Vania and Christine’s direction with this shoot (they’re the dynamic duo behind Simply Bloom). This means a trip to the antique store is a MUST. You never know what you’ll find and that makes it SOOOOO FUUUUN. In this shoot, the ladies employed a brilliantly colored french cookbook, a tea set, a honey bear, eggs, an apron, mini paper lanterns, some desserts… ok they went crazy with props. And I love them all the more for it – just look at the results!!! BUT you don’t need ALL of this to make your e-session stand out, I promise. Even just one or two props, if carefully chosen, can a perfectly pretty e-session make. No antique stores nearby? I’d advise checking out your local Anthropologie. A bit more pricey, but hey, it’s your engagement… which means it’s worth it, OBVIOUSLY. Plus, they almost always have a nice gathering of odds and ends in their sale section. For example, last time I went they had this huge wicker basket of totally random and totally rad door knobs. An inspiration shoot stylist’s dream.

Final thought on the matter: it certainly doesn’t hurt to have the ladies of Simply Bloom taking your pictures. ;)

Want to see the rest? That’s a stupid question. Click here to go straight to the Simply Bloom blog for more!

This whole week has been a whirlwind. It went by in two shakes of a puppy’s butt. Then on Thursday, this happened:

BARF!

Just kidding – that image makes my heart sing the way that little boy talked about on Oprah that one time. So do these:

So, you know what those are? They’re just a few of the images from my most recent guest post on Style Me Pretty! Arranging the inspiration boards for this wedding brought tears to my eyes; Danah and Ahmad just look so right for one another… there’s this calm contentedness about them. Sometimes you can just feel that two people are going to make it for the long run. And it’s not just in their faces, it’s in the kind of affair they threw. One commentor, named Carrie, said it best: “Just love this wedding… This is just such a wonderful example of a truly sophisticated, classic and elegant wedding! Best of all, the photos aren’t stuffy making for such a beautiful balance!” {Photos by Amelia Lyon}

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Ok, back to my week: it started out as any fine week does, with what turned out to be a spectacular event put on by the Wedding Salon at the Roosevelt Hotel on Monday (Grazia, I LOVED it. Fabulous job, missy!), and is rounding itself out with huge loads (sexually inappropriate comment for the day? CHECK) of blog world love and affection that I never, ever… in my wildest dreams… could have imagined would come my way. For the most part regarding Wednesday’s announcement. And I’ve got to say, though it may sound a little ridiculous, I feel like the friendships I’ve begun to cultivate since my entry into the bliggity blogosphere actually rival those that have naturally evolved over the span of my lifetime. Which either makes me a complete tool, or really lucky. Going with lucky.

This is gonna sound boastful, but I couldn’t possibly thank everybody here, so I just want to send out a massive THANK YOU to everyone who has been so magically delicious in my general direction this week, and always. I love you with the same intensity that I love this:

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Ok, here’s some proof that it has totally made sense for me to save up all those empty wine bottles all these years. Oh, and say hello again to those Anthro knobs that just keep popping up! (Sexual reference much?) KNOTTY TIP: there are almost always a crapload of knobs on sale at Anthro, so they’re totally not hard to get your hands on if you’re looking to recreate a shoot like this one.

Here’s why… No. 1: it’s interactive online artwork, which is just one of those fun things that make Friday at work a little bit more tolerable, and No. 2: it reminds me of the book, “The Giving Tree,” a treasure of a read that made my little brother cry when he was young. Yes, my little (currently 24-year-old) brother is one of those rare types… you know, the type with feelings. Looks like a football player, but capable of a heart-to-heart. Perfect guy.

Aaaaaand finally, a totally off-topic find from Cute Overload that beats all of this. I am quoting the author, “Meg,” here:

OMG. I seriously cannot stop laughing at this poor dog. I think I’ve been laughing for a solid five minutes. Look at that haircut. He must be absolutely furious. LOOK at the fro with the trapezoid that is cut out to allow his beady eyes some room! OMG, ROTFL. And the poor other dog in the background is getting his hair cut the SAME WAY and will have the SAME FATE. Oh, man, this is too much. I haven’t laughed this hard since, well, the last post.

Happy Friday, people! That’s a wrap for the Fab Finds – hope you liked!!! And I hope everyone’s got some great plans in the works for the weekend. I hear the weather’s not going to be so great where I am, so maybe we’ll go dancing.

Remember that fit I said I was having over an upcoming blog post? Well, here’s the culprit. That is, aside from the Nutella which a dear friend so helpfully pointed out was contributing to the twitches. Now’s as good a time as any to admit that I was essentially free-basing Nutella for the better half of yesterday. It was my first time, and I overdid it. I learned my lesson. No biggie. No big whoop. Who caaaaares?!! Ok, WHAT THE F IS GOING ON.

Now, when you go check it out, you’ll notice that yes, some of the dresses on there are decidedly slutty. Like, for example, the fact that they’re selling this as a “top,” in the “tops” section. Yes, just put those aside. If you can do that, there’s seriously not much more muck to trudge through on this site. Which leads me to the overwhelmed thing I started in on a few sentences ago. I tend to have this combined physical and mental response – I get all discombobulated – and it’s the result of seeing a bazillion adorable frocks, all at extremely fair prices. When the two chemically react with one another they cause my mind to blow up in ecstasy. Pure, unadulterated, magically delicious (and oh how perfect would it be if it was also sexual) ecstasy.

But putting aside my only recently surfacing unfulfilled desires for fashion-sex, I have some advice for you.

Wear one of these for your engagement photo session. If you do, you will like the way your pictures turn out. Trust.

Moon Terrace Dress

Souvenir Dress

Divine Approval Dress

Take It Slow Dress

Deft Precision Dress

Femme Fatale Dress

Boston Fancy Dress

Double Cross Dress

Sweetest Thing Dress

Paint the Roses Red Dress

Guess what? You can find all that yumminess over at LuLu’s. You’re welcome. ;)

There’s been a lotof news around these parts as of late. Here’s some more…

I am pleased to announce that The Knotty Bride is now welcoming sponsors and other forms of advertising on the blog! TKB has grown by leaps and bounds since its relatively recent inception in October of 2009, thanks to brides, wedding professionals, event planners, fantastic fellow bloggers and men and women everywhere planning special events of their own.

Readership continues to grow exponentially… I nearly pee my pants and call my mama every time I look at the daily traffic totals. Plus, the feedback I receive every day re: the ideas, inspiration and advice I post on TKB brings me the kind of immense, incomprehensible joy that can be likened only to that which is felt when a baby is born, or after finding out at the register that the dress you thought was on sale for $149.50 is actually on sale for $69.50, but was for some reason not marked as such! Or some other miraculous event – you get it.

So…

If you are interested in advertising on The Knotty Bride and you offer a product or service that you think would be relevant to this audience, I’d love to hear from you. Please email theknottybride@gmail.com (subject: “advertising”) for information.

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Thanks, I look forward to working with you!

Coming up…

Remember when I said this yesterday? –> “Having a fit over my blog post for tomorrow. An absolute, full-out, twitching, jump up and down fit.”